Minneapolis Could Ban Drive-Thru Windows

You might not ever see a new drive-thru fast-food restaurant, drive-thru bank, or drive-thru pharmacy in Minneapolis. The city is considering banning the construction of new drive-thrus.

The city's planning commission will discuss the proposed amendment that would prohibit new drive-through facilities at their Thursday meeting. Establishments with existing drive-thrus would not be impacted.

According to Fox 9: "City leaders say drive-thrus don’t fit their vision for the future of the city, as they aim to reduce carbon emissions and increase density." Code Development Senior Planner Mei-Ling Smith told the TV news station, “It’s encouraging driving, it’s encouraging pollution, it’s encouraging people to sit in their cars and idle.”

It's an interesting idea to reduce emissions, but If approved I'd be curious to see how this will affect the local economy. Banning a convenience, like drive-thru windows, would be devastating to fast-food restaurants so this might prevent those types of businesses from wanting to open in Minneapolis. I'd also want to see how many people start letting their car run as they are forced to go into these businesses.